Orit Schwartz

Orit Schwartz is a Senior Clinical Instructor in the undergraduate Rehabilitation Sciences program at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Orit’s teaching focuses on promoting educational and professional opportunities for students from underrepresented groups, and on fostering a commitment to health equity, social justice, and cultural inclusivity among the future cadre of healthcare providers. In her teaching, scholarly, and services interests, Orit draws on her experience in community-based adult education, her work as an occupational therapist with families in underserved areas of Chicago, and her volunteer work with the Hyde Park Refugee Project, an organization dedicated to helping refugees and asylum seekers resettle and build a life in the Hyde Park community on Chicago’s south side. In addition to serving as a member of the HPRP leadership team and mentoring refugee families, Orit serves as an area expert and advocate for members of families with disabilities. Orit is particularly interested in fostering collaborations among individuals and agencies to ensure that adults and children with disabilities, regardless of their immigration status, have access to educational and vocational opportunities, quality health services, and the resources they need to live a life of dignity and self-actualization.